The CIONET European Research Paper of the Year election is intended to identify the European research paper that embodies excellence in rigour and relevance of research. In order to promote the exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge among professionals and academics in the area of information and communications systems and technology management, the CIONET European Research Paper of the Year acclaims a yearly best research paper.
FIRST PRIZE WINNER IS
Jie Mein Goh, IE Business School, Madrid, Spain
Paper Title: “Information Technology and Firm Profitability: Mechanisms and Empirical Evidence”
Co-authors: Sunil Mithas (University of Maryland), Ali Tafti (University of Illinois), Indranil Bardhan (University of Texas).
Journal: MIS Quarterly, 2012.
SUMMARY OF WINNING PAPER
This paper provides an extensive analysis of the impact of IT on profitability. Importantly, the effect of IT investments on sales and profitability is higher than that of other discretionary investments, such as advertising and R&D. A significant portion of the impact of IT on firm profitability is accounted for by IT-enabled revenue growth, but there is no evidence for the effect of IT on profitability through operating cost reduction. Taken together, these findings suggest that firms have had greater success in achieving higher profitability through IT-enabled revenue growth than through IT-enabled cost reduction. They also provide important implications for managers to make allocations among discretionary expenditures such as IT, advertising, and R&D. With regard to IT expenditures, the results imply that firms should accord higher priority to IT projects that have revenue growth potential over those that focus mainly on cost savings.
WHY DID THE JURY SELECT THIS PAPER?
This paper provides strong empirical evidence for a discussion CIOs constantly encounter: what are the expected returns of IT investments? Regarding this discussion, the paper provides excellent arguments and excellent underpinning of the financial strengths of IT investments. This underpinning also seems beyond discussion, which makes this paper a truly helpful guide for directing discussions on IT profitability and attractiveness of IT investments in organizations.
WHO WERE THE OTHER CANDIDATES?
This year’s election includes a list of fourteen high quality papers, which are listed in the Appendix. All European research papers that have been published in the two most prominent global research journals are automatically nominated. Papers are accepted as “European papers” in case one of the authors is associated to a university or company located in Europe. Prominence of journals is determined by their five year bibliographical Impact Factor and acknowledged by the Association for Information Systems, which maintains a ranking of information system research journals. The two most prominent research journals are currently the periodicals (1) Management Information Systems Quarterly and (2) Information Systems Research.
WHO WAS SELECTED AS RUNNER-UP (SECOND PRIZE)?
Wolfgang Ketter, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Paper Title: “Real-Time Tactical and Strategic Sales Management for Intelligent Agents Guided by Economic Regimes”
Co-Authors: John Collins, Maria Gini, Alok Gupta and Paul Schrater (University of Minnesota).
Journal: Information Systems Research (23) 4, 2012, pp.1263-1283.
SUMMARY OF RUNNER-UP PAPER
This paper describes statistical models that address product pricing and inventory resource utilization decisions in real time. Described models characterize economic conditions, called economic regimes, in the form of recurrent statistical patterns that have clear qualitative interpretations. It is shown how these models can be used to predict prices, price trends, and the probability of receiving a customer order at a given price. These “regime” models are developed using statistical analysis of historical data and are used in real time to characterize observed market conditions and predict the evolution of market conditions over multiple time scales. The models are evaluated using a testbed derived from the Trading Agent Competition for Supply Chain Management, a supply chain environment characterized by competitive procurement, sales markets, and dynamic pricing. The paper shows how regime models can be used to inform both short-term pricing decisions and long-term resource allocation decisions. Results show that the method outperforms more traditional short- and long-term predictive modeling approaches.
WHAT MAKES THESE PAPERS WINNING?
First, it is important to emphasize that selecting the two finalists was hardly straightforward. The Jury was impressed by the research quality, the theoretical underpinning and empirical evidence of all 14 candidates. However, the CIONET Jury is also looking for inspiration, provocative thinking and practical relevance. After careful consideration the Jury selected Jie Mein Goh’s paper as winning paper.
WHO IS GRANTING THIS AWARD?
The award is granted by CIONET, in particular its 4,000 European CIO members. The award ceremony will be held in conjunction with the yearly CIO CITY event. CIONET is the largest community of IT executives in Europe. With a membership of almost 4000 CIOs, CTOs and IT Directors across Europe, CIONET has the expertise and pioneering vision to solve or address any IT management challenge.
These IT executives, each in charge of a department of tens to thousands of IT experts, together form a collective, organic brain of hundreds of thousands IT management specialists. All generations are represented at CIONET: baby boomers, Generation-Xers and even a few Generation-Yers, resulting in an energetic and creative mix. CIONET is always on the lookout for the next neuron, the next connection between these neurons and ways to improve the synergy even further. We are CIONET, always challenging you with: What’s next?
WHO ACTED AS JURY MEMBERS?
CIONET Advisory Boards are entitled to promulgate jury members – one representative for each Advisory Board. Chairman of the Board was Edwin Erckens, Vice President and CIO of TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
The jury is supported by the CIONET Administration and the Benelux Chapter of the Association for Information Systems (BENAIS).
CONTACT ADRESSES
Edwin ErckensJury Chair ERPOTY 2012
Vice President, Chief Information Officer – Europe
TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
T: +31 346 290 302
Edwin.Erckens@Tevaeu.com Hendrik Deckers
Managing Partner CIONET
Nonnenstraat 1 bus 5
2800 Mechelen Belgium
T: +32 15 261 600
hendrik@cionet.com Prof. dr. Egon Berghout
President Benelux Association for Information Systems (AIS)
Professor of Information Systems University of Groningen
T: +31-50-363-4111
e.w.berghout@benais.nl Dr. Jie Mein Goh
María de Molina, 11.
28006 Madrid SPAIN
T +34 91 568 96 00
jm.goh@ie.edu Dr. Wolfgang Ketter
Associate Professor of Information Systems
Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3062 PA Rotterdam Netherlands
T: +31 10 4082624
wketter@rsm.nl